Such a Dark Thing: Theology of the Vampire Narrative in Popular Culture

Evil death demons reanimation and resurrection. While such topics are often reserved for the darker mindscapes of the vampire subgenre within popular culture they are equally integral elements of religious history and belief. Despite the cultural shift of presenting vampires in a secular light the traditional figure of the vampire within cinema and literature has a rich legacy of serving as a theological marker. Whether as a symbol of the allure of sin as an apologetic for assorted religious icons or as a gateway into a discussion of liberationist theology the vampire has served as a spiritual touchstone from Bram Stokers Dracula to Stephen Kings Salems Lot to the HBO television series True Blood. In Such a Dark Thing Jess Peacock examines how the figure of the vampire is able to traverse and interconnect theology and academia within the larger popular culture in a compelling and engaging manner. The vampire straddles the ineffable chasm between life and death and speaks to the transcendent in all of us tapping into our fundamental curiosity of what if anything exists beyond the mortal coil giving us a glimpse into the interminable while maintaining a cultural currency that is never dead and buried. Equal parts fan-boy adulation and academic analysis this delightful book expresses such joy and enthusiasm in either mode: in both the author shows what it is to be passionately engaged and intellectually stimulated by the subject. The section on liberation theology and social change also takes the vampire narrative into new areas of interpretation and application that I found especially exciting and invigorating. Those who identify as either fan or critic (or both) will find here fresh insight into and inspiration from their favorite monster--a sort of bracing antidote to Twilight! --Kim Paffenroth author of Gospel of the Living Dead Jesse Peacock knows his theology and his vampires making him a perfect guide to the dark places he wants to take us. Such A Dark Thing successfully explores how our fascination with the hungry undead not only connects with religious themes but also sex politics and even social justice. --W. Scott Poole author of Monsters in America Such A Dark Thing is eminently readable exhaustively researched and always thoughtful--an examination of modern folklore through a theological lens that left me thinking about why I write about vampires and why the undead resonate so with the contemporary subconscious. Well worth reading for any scholar student or fan of the genre. --David Wellington author of Positive M. Jess Peacock is the editor of Street Speech a social justice publication produced by the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless and is the 2013 recipient of Methodist Theological School in Ohios Ronald L. Williams Book Prize in Theology and Ethics as well as The Matey Janata Freedwomen Award for his research and work in womens issues.